Why Did God Become Man?

Introduction

If I get my microphone fixed here. Well, good morning to all on a beautiful day that the Lord has given us. Good to see you out this morning. I’d like to encourage you to be opening your testaments to the book of Hebrews. Those of you who have been with us at the nine o’clock hour earlier know that I’ve begun a series of lessons at this nine o’clock hour from the book of Hebrews, expository lessons. I was uh we had our gospel meeting last Sunday, and of course we missed with Brother Kevin Clark preaching at this hour. And the Sunday before that I was out of town with my father in kind of an emergency situation. So it’s been three weeks.

That God speaks to us through his son. And you may raise the question, certainly if you’re not a Bible student, well, why is that important? So what? That God speaks to us today through his son. And then is developed really the answer to that question. In fact, in chapter one, the very first two verses, God, who at sundry times or various times and in various ways, spoke in time past of the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his son, whom he has appointed heir of all things. Through whom also he made the worlds. Who, being the brightness of his glory, and the expressed image of his person, upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.

And then verse 4, look, having been made so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

That’s a rhetorical question, in fact. To which of the angels did he ever say, You are my son? Obviously, to none. Now, when we think about God and the heavenly hosts, we think of angels surrounding the Father. And angels as greater than you and I as human beings. But of the angels, while they may be great in their own realm and perspective, not any one of them did God ever say, You are my begotten Son. Not everyone, not any one of them. In fact, in chapter one, following that opening, there’s seven Old Testament passages that are quoted that illustrate the greatness of the Lord in respect of angels. In fact, in those verses we find that there’s the declaration that indeed Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the firstborn.

He is the one who is principally above all. He himself is worshipped by angels. He is God enthroned, and he is the anointed one, the eternal creator. So with this opening in verses that are referring to Jesus Christ as better than angels, when we come to our lesson today, chapter 2, we may wonder why this one is given. Because in chapter 2 is described in verse 7 as well as in verse 9 that he was made a little lower than angels. When he came in human flesh, he came as man. Why did God have to become man in order to accomplish his purpose? I’ll tell you from a human perspective, we might think, well, that’s not reasonable. If God created the heavens and the earth and every good and perfect gift, why would God need to become flesh, become man?

And in our lesson today from chapter 2, I believe from really from our verses 5 through the end of the chapter, there are four different reasons that are given that we’ll look at.

1. Restoring the Dominion Man Lost

That his humankind, his flesh and blood, enabled him to bring many sons to glory. His human humanity enabled him to disarm Satan and to deliver us from death. And then finally, his humanity enables him even now to be as our merciful and faithful high priest who can understand even where we walk and sympathize with us. It was necessary that the Son of God be made flesh in order to accomplish and carry out God’s eternal purpose and plan. So let’s look at these. In chapter 2, beginning in verses 5 through 9, the scripture says, For he is not put the world to come of which we speak in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying, What is man that you are mindful of him?

Or the Son of Man that you take care of him. You’ve made him a little lower than the angels. You’ve crowned him with glory and honor and set him over the works of your hands. You put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

But now we do not yet see all things put under him. Rather confusing. Until you stop and really analyze what he said. Back in verse 5, in fact, the scripture in speaking of Jesus, he, that is God, has not put the world to come of which we speak in subjection to angels. The world to come. Notice the world to come is not yet put in subjection. And that’s what verse 8 is saying as well. What does that mean? The fact is the greatness of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has not yet been put over the world to come, for the world to come has not yet come. That’s the simple answer. But Jesus Christ Himself is indeed the one who has all authority. When we studied the book of Ephesians in Ephesians chapter 1, you may recall how that first chapter ends by saying how that God raised him from the dead and set him in his own right hand.

Far above all principality, all power, might and dominion, and every name that is named, and then it has, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. Christ is head over all. God made him King of kings and Lord of Lords, and all things are in subjection, but yet not yet the world to come. So what is he speaking about? Even now, as we view things, in this world, things are subjected unto him. In fact, the scripture would say that he has restored even to us, our Sheriff his crucifixion by his death. What does he mean by that man is not yet, that things are not yet in subjection to him? You may recall how in the Genesis account, in Genesis chapter 1 and in verse 28, in describing even mankind as God made him, both male and female, the scripture says God blessed them, gave and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over every living thing that moves on the earth.

That’s as God made it originally. Man was to subdue, he had dominion. But what happened after the sin of man? In Genesis chapter 3, we have recorded after Eve was tempted and fell beguiled by Satan and fell to the temptation, and Adam followed suit in Genesis 3 verses 17 through 19. The scripture says, then to Adam, he said, because you have heeded the voice of your wife, have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it. Cursed is the ground for your sake. In toil you shall eat of it, all the days of your life, both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the fill. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken, for dust you are, and the dust you shall return.

We understand, even, as that curse is placed upon man, that man is not in, you might say, over and in control even of this world. Man lost that dominion. And as we know today, certainly, trees nourish only after strenuous care. By the sweat of the brow, man is able to provide food for himself. In fact, beasts serve only after being attained and trained. We understand pain. We understand suffering. We understand death. All of these the consequence of sin. What did man lose by sinning? He lost even favor in this world, in this life as human beings. But Jesus Christ is the answer to this dilemma. What man lost? Jesus Christ, is able to restore. In the world to come, there will be no pain. There will be no suffering.

There will be no sorrow. There will be no death. That’s what we look forward to, and we understand the scriptures that describe the heavenly existence and what it will be like, particularly in Revelation chapter 21. But how is that made possible? Notice again the quotation in verses six through eight, in fact. And it is really a quotation from Psalm, where even David, King David, as recorded now in Psalm 8, the scripture says, What is man that you’re mindful of him? Or the Son of Man that you take care of him. You’ve made him a little lower than the angels. You’ve crowned him with glory and honor, set him over the works of your hands. You’ve put all things in subjection under his feet. First part of that verse, where he asks, What is man that you’re mindful of him?

Have you ever stopped and thought about that? I think there are times where we ought to just pause and certainly give thought to who God is, and how really unworthy man is.

Who is man? Who are we that God would stop and pay attention to us? We couldn’t create what God has created. We can’t make anything from nothing. Out of nothing comes nothing. But God out of nothing made the heavens and the earth. So who is man? That you’re mindful of him, O Lord. And then to follow, I think he speaks more about who the Son of God really is, the Son of Man, as Matthew often describes him. Or the Son of Man, Jesus Christ. Who is, why would God be mindful of him? You made him a little lower than the angels. Why did God make Jesus Christ lower than the angels? And yet you’ve crowned him with glory and honor, set him over the works of your hands.

You put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he’ll have nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him, but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he, by the grace of God might taste death for everyone. What do we see? God made him lower than the angels, that he came in flesh and humankind. He was able to taste death for everyone. And consequently, as tasting death for everyone, he is able to restore even that dominion which man has lost in this world, but in that which is yet to come.

2. Bringing Many Sons to Glory

Who will be in charge and have total dominion over all? Those who serve the Lord. And in connection with that, continuing further in verses 10 through 13, he says, For it was fitting for him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified, are all of one. For which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare your name to my brethren in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to you, and again I will put my trust in him, and again, here am I, and the children whom God has given me.

In verse 10, where he says it was fitting, it was appropriate, it was the right thing. It was fitting for him, for whom are all things, and of whom, or by whom are all things, and bringing many sons to glory? Stop and pause for a moment. Again that question, who is men that you’re mindful of him? And why would you even allow your son? For whom and by whom are all things? Makes me think of the passage in Colossians chapter one, in fact, where in verses 16 and 17 in Colossians 1 says, For by him, speaking of Christ, all things were created that are in heaven, that are on earth, visible, invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things, all things were created through him and for him.

And he is before all things, and in him all things consist. Now here’s the thing that you ought to grasp. Why would God send this one of this character, of this ability, of this preeminent role? Why would you let him be the one who suffers? Be the one who comes like mankind. Why did God become man? Again, is the question. And yet the answer comes again ringing here. For the scripture says in verse 10, what you’ve done with him, in the latter part of verse 10, bringing many sons to glory. To make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

It’s the same word in chapter 5 in verse 9, is translated author. He is the origin. He is the pioneer. He is the leader of our salvation. He’s the one who made salvation possible. As verse 9 said, he tasted death for everyone to start with. He is the one who brings us or allows us as others who have sinned. He allows us by the forgiveness of our sins to be known as even the children of God. He was made perfect through sufferings as a sacrifice. He is the one who is completely qualified.

He, as man’s advocate to the Father, he’s adapted to the nature, the wants, the circumstances of those whom he came to redeem. Therefore, as our high priest, he’s perfect.

He is therefore the author of.

Salvation is made possible. And therefore, as he brings many sons to glory, think about what he’s saying. In verse 12, I will declare your name to my brethren. In the midst of the assembly, I will sing praise to you. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, here am I, and the children whom God has given me. Jesus Christ allows us to be made as brethren. We are all of the same Father. Verse 11 would say, for he who sanctifies, that’s Christ. And those who are being sanctified, that’s Christians, are all of one. We are all the children of God, for which he is not ashamed to call them brethren. We refer as often ourselves, this is brother so-and-so. We mean spiritually, we’re of the same family, our sister so and so.

But Jesus Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren. Who is this we’re talking about? The one by whom all things are created, and for whom all things are created, who with glory as with the Father, yet emptied himself, became mankind. That’s the one who we become joint heirs with. You stop and think about it. I think most of us to comprehend what is included in that, that he is the author. He is the origin, he is the one who made possible salvation. Who are we? To be called the children of God. That 2 Corinthians chapter 6, verses 17 and 18 describes that God dwells among us, that we are as his children. We’re brethren of one, of one Father, that is God. But now, not only did His humanity restore the dominion that man lost and brought many sons to glory, but then we began to perhaps understand more clearly what he has done when we read verses 14 and 15.

3. Disarming Satan and Delivering Us from Death

And he says, Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same, that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. What does he mean? Subject to bondage. Perhaps you know the story, of course. How that God in the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, what he said to Adam and Eve, these two trees that are in the garden, one the tree of life, the other, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And man was warned not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for in the day you eat thereof you shall surely die.

The death spoken of was first and foremost that separation from God. And those today, even who do not know God, who are not the children of God, are still in a spiritual way dead, dead in their sin, separated from God. But what Jesus Christ did was make possible the deliverance from that death. He first of all disarmed Satan. The scripture says, even as he himself partook of flesh and blood, and that he became man, was tempted in all points, like as we are, without sin. He could die in the place of others. God is just. The penalty has to be paid. If God is just the law, must be fulfilled. And his law is that sin is worthy of death. You and I are worthy of death.

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But Jesus Christ died in my place. Jesus Christ died in your place. And in that sense, he disarmed Satan. He destroyed, that is the power of the devil. For until you and I become redeemed by the blood of Christ, we’re in bondage. We have only death. We have first and foremost a spiritual death that is described in Revelation as the second death, the eternal death, separated from God throughout eternity. But we also know that there was the physical death, for man was driven from the garden of Eden that he could not eat of the tree of life and live forever. And neither shall we, if we are separated from God. Only in Revelation chapter 21 and 22, in the heavenly abode, is it described as the tree of life being there.

But Jesus Christ disarmed Satan. Now that doesn’t mean that Satan’s not alive. For we know passages like 1 Peter 5 and 8, he is like a roaring lion walking about, seeking whom he may devour. And indeed, you and I are still tempted and tested by the devil. But we can be made free only as we come to Jesus Christ. Who did this for us? The Son of God Himself. The very one for whom all things have been made and by whom all things have been made. Who are we? Who is man? That God is mindful of him? Why would God allow his only begotten Son to die in our place and for our sins? But then notice, furthermore, his humanity not only helped restore the dominion we lost by sin, his humanity not only made it possible to bring many sons to glory, that we can be the children of God, brethren of Christ, his humanity not only delivered us from the fear of death, destroying the power of death, that is the devil who cannot control us.

4. A Merciful and Faithful High Priest

But look at the last two verses. And I’ll tell you one of the most that ought to touch your heart. Who is Christ our high priest? The scripture says of him in verses 17 and 18, therefore, in all things he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered, being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted. Jesus Christ. The Bible speaks. Came in the flesh, tempted in every point, like as we are, yet without sin. Only by that means could he be the perfect sacrifice, number one. He did not have the penalty to pay for sin like you and I do.

Therefore he died in the place of those who had the penalty of sin. So he was made perfect as a sacrifice. But also he’s made able to understand and sympathize. Have you ever felt, have you ever felt that no one really understands you? Have you ever been in a set of circumstances, maybe trying to you in a mental way, in our physical way. And you wish you could just talk to someone who could comprehend the predicament that you’re in. Have you ever felt that indeed that just no one understands that? I’ve had people who in trial of maybe physical trial or some kind of sickness or maybe some kind of sin so deep that they felt the burden. And they would say to me, you just don’t understand.

And I would have to admit, there are times where I’d say, I haven’t walked in your shoes. Maybe if I had walked in your shoes, I would have done the same things you’ve done. Maybe I wouldn’t. But it’s certain that when they say you just can’t understand, I know what they’re saying. Have you ever felt that way? But Jesus Christ understands. And that’s the point of these last two verses, that he walked in the flesh, tempted in all points, like as we are. In fact, look at chapter 4. In the last two verses of Hebrews chapter 4, the scripture says, seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. That verse has a double negative in it, and you have to stop and think when he says we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize. What he’s saying is we do have a high priest who can sympathize with us. Verse 16, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. When you fill at the lowest and maybe the heaviest burden on you, turn to the Lord. He understands. He is our faithful high priest. Now, when you think about a high priest, what does that really mean?

The book of Hebrews really enlarges upon that. I find it interesting that as discussing the fact that Jesus is our high priest, will be found at least some part of that to amplify and explain in nearly every chapter of Hebrews. We find in chapter 2, he’s our high priest. We’ll talk about it in chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Of all these chapters, you’re going to find something about the high priesthood of Jesus Christ. That’s important, evidently. Why? Well, certainly, if you were a Jew and you understood under the law of Moses, the high priest is the one who at least once every year would enter into the Holy of Holies and offer sacrifice for the sins of the people.

He was the one who on the day of atonement took the risk, and I say risk because indeed sometimes it is said they fear, what if he died in the Holy of Holies? No one else would go in but the high priest. But the high priest would offer sacrifice for others. Jesus Christ is our high priest. He offered himself as our sacrifice for us. But then, the second thing that the high priest can do, and as the scripture really points out, is that he is able. He is able to come to the aid of those who serve him. He is able in that he himself suffered. Today, he helps the seed of Abraham. As verse 17, all things he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest.

Conclusion

It doesn’t give aid to angels, verse 16, but it gives aid to the seed of Abraham. And through Jesus Christ, we now have that great high priest who is able to offer sacrifice for my sins and your sins. What Jesus accomplished when he became man, he did not become inferior to angels, though he was made a little lower than angels. But in reality, in his human body, he accomplished something that even angels could not accomplish. And though he is greater than all of us, he’s not ashamed to call us his brethren. Are you ashamed to call him your Lord? I hope not. That we will elevate Jesus as the Christ, even as this letter of Hebrews does, who it is that’s made possible. Forgiveness of our sins and the promise of life everlasting.

Let us bow in prayer. Almighty God, we are so thankful for your love. When sometimes it seems beyond our own comprehension as to your scheme of redemption, how you made it possible. And yet you indeed did those things that even the angels did not understand, may desire to look into, and yet did not comprehend even the prophecies. And certainly the devil did not comprehend, for he crucified the Son of God, or had by his hand the wickedness of men to crucify him. And had he known that he indeed is the means of eternal life, even the devil would not have participated in such. Your wisdom is so high and holy, far above us. And we marvel that you’re mindful of us, but we’re certainly grateful. We thank you for Jesus.

We thank you for becoming that he became as man, and that he understands our needs, that not only does he make reconciliation for our sins, but he also is able to help us to lift us up, to enable us even to overcome the temptations and trials that the devil may put in front of us. Help us, Lord, to walk closely with you, and to ever give thanks and praise unto our Lord Jesus the Christ. Keep us now as we continue our study and our worship, even this good day. For the name of Christ we pray. And amen.